OKEHAMPTON mayor Cllr Tony Leech says he has reluctantly had to concede defeat in his battle to try to preserve the town?s Carlton Cinema. Earlier this year, Cllr Leech appealed for local landowners to come forward to see if a land swap deal could be negotiated with the site?s prospective developers. Cllr Leech was hoping the 1930s cinema in St James Street could be saved for the town and continue to operate as a profitable working cinema. But he said attempts to find a parcel of land of similar value on which developers could build had now reached the ?end of the road?, which he said was ?very unfortunate?. Cllr Leech said: ?I want to say sorry to the town that we have not been able to save the cinema. However, we have not given up on cinema in the town.? Cllr Leech also praised the ?wonderful job? being done by Okehampton Moving Pictures, who he said were ensuring films could still be seen on a regular basis in Okehampton. He said the community group now had its own mobile projection equipment which it was looking to take out into the surrounding villages as well. Earlier this year, West Devon Borough Council?s planning and licensing committee approved revised plans to demolish the former cinema and create a three-story building containing 15 flats in its place.
